Railway-crossing gate.



No.'7|2,849.. Pa tented Nov. 4,11902.

E. c. RADICK. RAILWAY CROSSING GATE.

(Application filed Mar. 10, 1902.) 4

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

lNVENTO/i I I :Brqil ERadiuR.

ATTORNEY @d-TZ ZZAO. (MM

' N0. 7|2,a49. Patented Nov. 4, I902.

E. "c, RADICK.

RAILWAY CROSSING GATE.

(Application filed Mar. '10, 1902.) I (No Model.) [Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITE STATES 'ATENT CFFICE.

EMIL C. RADICK, OF ll/IENASHA,WVISOONSIN.

aAltwA v-csoslsl wo GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 712,849, datedhTovember4, 1902.

Application filed March 10, 1902, Serial No. 97.482. '(N'o model.) I

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL O. RADIoK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Menasha, in the county of Winnebago and State of VVisconsin, have invented a new and usefui Ill!- provement inRailway-Crossing Gates, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to the class of rail-v way-crossing gates that areoperated by the' passing train,the mechanism for which is illustrated inthe following drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a plan showing a sectionofa railroad-track, a carriage-driveway crossing. said track, and fourgates upon each side of said track, two principal gates for thestreetcrossing and two smaller ones for the sidewalk-crossings, and alsoshowing supplemental rails along each side of the track which are to beengaged by the passing train for closing said gates, the gates beingshown in a closed position across the driveway and sidewalks. Fig. 2 isan elevation, upon a larger scale than Fig. 1, of the inside of arailroad-track and two gates at the left-hand side of thecarriage-driveway, it also showing the top part of two supplementalrails upon the left-hand side of the driveway. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the supplemental rail and showing the chairs in which it issupported, with springs arranged under said rails for holding thegreater part of its tread normally an inch or more higher than the treadof the track-rails. Fig. 4 is a plan of the gates at the right-hand sideof the driveway and showing one rail of the track. Fig.1 5 is a sideelevation of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is aplan of the gates at the left-handside'of the driveway and showing one rail of the track. Fig. 7 is a sideelevation of Fig. 6, partly in section. Fig. Sis a side elevation of oneof the principal gates, in a closed position, beyond the line a a of-Fig. 6. Fig.'9 is a transverse section of the main and supplementalrails as seen in looking to the right from the line'b b of Fig. 7 andshowing the chair for supporting the supplemental rail. Fig. 10 is atransverse section of a modified form of the main-track rail as seen inlooking to the left from the line 0 c of Fig. 7 and showing thesupplemental rail and itssupport-chair. Fig. 11 is a top view of one ofthe principal gatesas shown in Fig. 8,with its counterweight attached,the gate being in a closed position.

Fig. 1 is upon a small scale and attempts to show only theposition ofthe principal parts. Fig. 2 is upon a larger scale than Fig. l, andFigs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 upon a larger scale than Fig. 2, and Figs. 9and10 are upon a still larger scale.

- Similar numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

The surface of the ground above .Which the track-rails 2 of a railwayare placed and from which surface theposts for supporting thecrossing-gates project is indicated by. the numeral 1. Supplementalrails 3, having slots 5, are secured to and alongside of the rails 2,with bolts 6 through said slots. Chairs 4 or 4 are secured to a suitablesupport with spikes 7. Extending out from the rails 3 are bolts 8, uponeach of which a link 9 is mounted, and upon a bolt or pin 11 of thechair the augle-lever 10 is mounted. 12 is a bolt or pin in each chairupon which a lever 13 or 13 is pivoted, and its upper end is connectedwith the upper end of the angle-lever 10 by means of a link 14, theopposite end of the angle lever being connected to the lower end of thelink 9. From the lower end of the lever 13, which is farthest from thecrossing at its left, a rod-15 extends to the shaft loat the left andalso to the shaft'lS at the right of the crossing, and from the lever 13which is farthest from the crossing at its right, a rod 17 extends tothe shaft 18 at the right and also to the shaft 16 at the left of thecrossing.

' It should be observed that my gate-operating mechanism appears to aperson facing the track the same upon whichever side of the track he maybe standing as it is shown in Fig. 1, and it may also be noted that fromwhichever direction a train approaches the crossing its action indepressing the supplemental rails will be to move the rods 15 and 17toward the left, for the reason that, as the mechanism is shown in thedrawings, the act of depressing the supplemental rails by the passingtrain in acting upon the aforesaid levers, angle-levers, and linksbetween said supplemental rails and the rods and 17 will produce thatresult.

The shafts 16 and 18 are journaled in suitable journal-boxes, (one onlybeing shown alongside of the rail 2,) and they transmit the action ofthe mechanism alongside of the rails 2 to the gates for closing andopening the same.

The supplemental rails are rectangular in cross-section and from aboutthree feet from each end are slanted ofli for the easy mounting of thewheels of the train, their position being alongside of the rails 2 andtheir top normally an inch or two above the top of the track-rails. Theyare preferably placed outside of the track-rails; but should thewheeltreads be too narrow for engaging the supplemental rails they maybe placed inside of the track-rails to be engaged by the wheelflange.They are provided with springs 19, which should be sufficient in numberand resiliency for returning the rails after depression and holding themat the highest limit of their movement. The several levers, anglelevers,and rods before mentioned, as well as the mechanism upon the gates, arerepresented in their normal position, as when the gates are open andcorresponding with said highest limit of movement of the supplementalrail.

In the gate-posts 20 and 21 upon shafts 22 and 23, respectively, theprincipal or driveway gates and sidewalk-gates are mounted, the twogates being operated simultaneously by means of gear-segments 24, onesegment being secured upon each shaft of each pair of gates. Upon eachof the shafts 22 is also secured a counterbalancingweight 25 for holdingsaid gates open and assisting in said opening. Mounted loosely upon eachshaft 22 is a crank-arm 26, which is connected with the shaft 1Sof theprincipal gates at the right of the crossing by means of the link 4L andlever 29, and upon said gates at the left of the crossing it isconnected with the shaft 16 by means of the links 41, the lever 27,which is pivoted at the point 27, and the lever 28, which is mountedupon shaft 16. Upon the shafts 16 and 18 are also mounted short leversor crankarms 30 and 30, respectively, for transmitting the movement ofthe rods 15 and 17 to the gateclosing mechanism, which is carried uponthe gate-posts.

The rod 15 is provided with a slot 31 at the point of its connectionwith the crank-arm 30 and with a slot 34 at the point of its connectionwith the link 15, said link connecting the rod 15 with the lever 13 ofany chair which is between the left-hand gate and the chair which isfirst encountered by a train approaching the gates from the left. Therod 17 is provided with springs 32 and stops The purpose of the slot 34is to allow the depression of the farthest one of the series ofsupplemental rails at the left of the crossing without its affecting themechanism immediately connected with the supplemental rails between thefarthest one and the crossing, and the purpose of the springs 32 andstops 33 is to allow the depression of the farthest one of thesupplemental rails and all intermediate ones at the right of thecrossing without an immediate efiect upon the gate until the springshave time to act upon the gates.

The principal gates are formed of two wood gate members 37, one of whichis secured to the gear-segment and the other to the counterweight, thetwo members coming together at their outer ends, and at a short distancefrom their inner ends plates 38 are secured across them. Upon oppositeedges of the crank-arms 26 springs 35 or 35 are secured with bolts 35",one spring 35 being applied to one of the principal gates of thecrossing and having a bell 36 for sounding an alarm at the firstmovement of the crank-arm 26 by a passing train. A spring 39 is arrangedbetween the outer leaf of each spring or 35 and one of the plates 38, abolt 39 passing through the aforesaid outer leaf of the spring, the twoplates 38, and between the two wood gate members 37. The gate membersbeing secured upon the shaft 22 and the crankarms 26 mounted looselythereon, the action of the sudden depression of the supplemental railsis transmitted to the gate members only through the springs thereon, sothat their closing movement is gradual and any sudden shock thereto isavoided.

The sidewalk-gates are formed of two wood .gate members 37, which aresecured upon opposite sides of the gear-segment upon its shaft 23.

A weighted rod 40 is suspended so as to swing freely from each principalgate for assisting in the final downward movement and also forstoppingthe gate when it has reached a horizontal position. A slot 42 isprovided in the outer end of each crank-arm 26 and bolt-holes 43 in eachof the levers 27 and 29 for adjusting the amountof the opening movementof the gates.

Parts are broken away for showing other parts beyond them, as follows:In Fig. 5 the lower part of one of the principal gate-posts, in Fig. 7the upper part of one of both principal and sidewalk gate-posts, thelower part of the weight 25, and of the gate member 37, and in Fig. 8the lower part of gate member 37.

Changes in the arrangement of levers for conveying the vertical movementof the supplemental rails to the crank-arms 26 may be made withoutdeparting from the principles of my invention.

The first of the supplemental rails should be placed at a considerabledistance from the gates at each side of the crossing, so that an alarmmay be sounded and ample time given for teams to clear the crossingbefore the gates close. Other supplemental rails should be placedbetween the two outer ones at such fiasco distances apart as will allowthe train to be upon some one rail of the series until the last one ofsaid series has been passed over, so that the gates will remain closeduntil all danger is passed.

When a train approaches the crossing from the left hand,it willdepressthe rail 3 and move the rod 15 toward the left, the slots 34: in the rod15 allowing the rod to thus move without its afiecting the leverswhich'are to be acted upon by any of said rails between the first oneencountered and the gate until the train arrives at any particular rail,when the lower end of its lever 13 will swing toward the left as far asthe bolt in the slot 34 will allow, and thereby hold the rod 15 at thelimit of its movement toward the left. This action of the levers 13 willbe repeated as each supplemental rail is passed over until the gates arereached.

If a train approaches from the right of the crossing, the depression ofthe first supplemental rail reached will act to move the rod 17 towardthe left, the springs 32 allowing the oscillation of the levers 13without its affecting the position of the rod 15, the springs 32 beingsufficiently stiff and resilient to eventually allow the movement of therod 17 to be imparted to the crank-arms upon the shafts 16 and 18, andto thereby act upon the crankarm 26 for closing the gate.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. In a railway-crossing-gate-closing mechanism having gate memberssecured upon a shaft in a suitable support, the combination with theusual track-rails, of supplemental rails arranged at intervals alongsideof said track-rails, and springs for normally holding the upper edge ofthe principal portion of said supplemental rail a limited distance abovethe top of said track-rails, a crank-arm loosely mounted upon saidgate-shaft having springs arranged to act on said gate members forrelieving the gate from sudden shock, and suitable connections betweenthe supplemental rail and said crank-arm for closing said gate when saidsupplemental rail is depressed by a passing train, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a railway-gate-closing mechanism having gate members secured upona shaft in a suitable support, the combination with the usualtrack-rails, of a series of supplemental rails arranged at intervalsalongside of said track-rails, and springs arranged under saidsupplemental rails for normally holding the principal portion of theupper edge of each supplement-a1 rail a limited distance above the topof said track-rails, a bolt projecting from the outer side of eachsupplemental rail, an angle-lever mounted upon a fixed support outsideof each supplemental rail and con-' nected at one end with said bolt, acrank-arm loosely mounted upon the aforesaid shaft of the principal gatemembers, having springs arranged for engaging said gate members forrelieving the gate'of sudden shock, and suitable'connections between theaforesaid anglelever at each supplemental rail and the crankarm of eachprincipal gate, substantially as described 3. In arailway-crossing-gate-closing mechanism, having gate members securedupon a shaft in a suitable support, the combination with the usualtrack-rails of a series of supplemental rails arranged at intervalsalongside of said track-rails, and springs for normally holding theprincipal portion of the upper edge of each supplemental rail a limiteddistance above the top of said track-rails, a crank-arm loosely mountedupon the shaft of the principal gate having springs arranged forengaging said gate members and relieving the gate of sudden shock, abell suspended from one of said gate-member springs and suitableconnections between the supplemental rails of the series and saidcrank-arm of said principal gate for oscillating the crankarm andringing said bell as the first of the series of supplemental rails isdepressed by a passing train, substantially as set forth.

4. In a railway-crossing-gate-closing mechanism, the combination withthe rails of a railroad-track of the following elements: a series ofsupplemental rails arranged for a limited vertical movement alongside ofthe usual track-rails at intervals, upon both sides of said track,springs arranged under said supplemental rails for holding the principalpart of their upper surface, normally, an inch or more above the top ofsaid track-rails, a bolt extending out from the outer side of eachsupplemental rail, a suitable chair arranged alongside of eachsupplemental rail near said bolt, an angle-lever mounted for oscillationupon said chair and having one end thereof connected with the aforesaidbolt, crossing gate members secured upon shafts and mounted foroscillation at each side of said track and upon opposite sides of saidcrossing in suitable supports; a crank arm mounted loosely upon thegate-shaft of each principal gate, springs arranged upon each crank-armfor engaging the gate members aforesaid and relieving them of suddenshock, a bell suspended from one gate of the crossing,a weighted rodsuspended from each principal gate of the crossing for accelerating itsclosing movement and limiting the extent thereof, ashaft arranged atright angles with the track from near said track to each principal gateof the crossing, a rod extending alongside of said track upon both sidesthereoffrom a lever upon the chair of each supplemental rail of theseries to crank-arms upon said last-named shafts upon both sides of saidcrossing, the rods upon one side of the crossing at their connectionswith the levers of the aforesaid chairs excepting that chair which isfarthest from the crossing being slotted, and the rods upon the otherside at each point of their con- IIO nection With a lever of a chair, orwith a ing said gates by the depression of said supcrank-arm beingprovided with suitable stops plemental rails by a passing train,snbstanlo and springs for allowing a limited horizontal tially asdescribed.

movement thereof, and suitable connections from the angle-levers of theseveral chairs to EMIL RADIOK' the crank-arms of the last-named-shaftsand \Vitnesses:

from said shafts to the loosely-mounted crank- W. G. BROWN,

arms aforesaid of each principal gate for clos- II. C. HILTON.

